Human bones can become damaged as a result of accident or illness. Such damage can be, for example, to the articular cartilage covering the ends of the bones at a joint as well as the intra-articular cartilage between the ends of the adjacent bones of the joint. When the damage to the joint is severe, a joint endoprosthesis can be implanted to improve the comfort and mobility of the patient.
Joint endoprostheses have been developed to replace native tissue of several human joints. There are a variety of knee prostheses, hip prostheses, shoulder prostheses, ankle prostheses and wrist prostheses available to relieve patient suffering. Such devices are made by and available from, for example, DePuy Products, Inc. and DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind.
Standard joint endoprostheses include metal components that are affixed to the articulating ends of the bones of the joint and commonly include a bearing component positioned between the metal components. Standard bearing components of joint endoprostheses have a surface against which one of the metal components articulates. For example, hip endoprostheses include a metal femoral component to be affixed to the proximal femur and a metal cup to be affixed to the acetabulum. Many of these standard hip endoprostheses include a liner in the acetabular cup against which the femoral component articulates. Knee prostheses commonly include a femoral component to be affixed to the distal femur and a tibial component to be affixed to the proximal tibia. Bearings are typically between the femoral and tibial components. Similar systems with bearings are available to replace other joints in the body. Such endoprosthesis systems are commercially available from DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind.
Orthopaedic prosthetics are also used to replace bone lost in the treatment of various bone cancers. These orthopaedic prosthetics may include elements of a joint endoprosthesis as well as components to replace intercalary bone loss. Such prosthetics are made by and available from DePuy Products, Inc. and DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. of Warsaw, Ind.
Trauma products are also available for treating patients suffering traumatic injury, such as bone fractures. Trauma products frequently include orthopaedic components such as bone screws, bone nails, bone plates and fixators, for example. Such trauma products are commercially available from DePuy Trauma and Extremities of Warsaw, Ind.
A wide variety of orthopaedic instrument sets are also available for use is implanting such orthopaedic prosthetics and trauma products. Such instrument sets commonly include a plurality of individual instruments. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. supplies such instrument sets to orthopaedic surgeons.
For a variety of orthopaedic implants, a surgical kit also includes a plurality of orthopaedic trial components that the orthopaedic surgeon temporarily attaches to the bone before permanently affixing the orthopaedic implants. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. supplies such trials with its surgical kits for implantation of joint endoprostheses.